Page 7 of Enchanting the CEO

"Yeah, but I'm a customer, and I want to order."

"They’ll take your order, sir. I just mix them."

He snorted. "Now listen to me. I'm not going to wait until one of—”

"What's going on here?" Gabe said in that strong, sexy voice. I didn't realize he'd moved next to me. "Someone giving you trouble?"

I pointed at the guy. "This man would like a drink.”

“If you’d come to the register, we can take your order. Diane’s just helping us out for the night,” Gabe explained.

“I’m not waiting in that long line. Get me a bourbon on the rocks.” It was shocking how rude this guy was, even to Gabe.

I leaned over to Gabe and said, “He seems to think that he can skip the line by intimidating us into making him a drink."

Gabe nodded, then looked at the customer. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

The guy snorted, and I wondered if he’d already had one drink too many. "Yeah, right."

"I'm serious. We have security outside. If you don't leave, I'll ask him to escort you."

"You've got some nerve. I'm not going to let a... I want to talk to the owner."

"I am the owner," Gabe said without missing a beat.

The guy narrowed his eyes, and Gabe gestured to someone at the far end of the room. "Security is coming to help you find your way out."

"Now, wait a second," he protested. But he barely got the words out before a tall, strong guy I hadn't even seen until now stepped right next to him.

"I'm here to escort you outside," he boomed.

The guy glared at me, then at Gabe. "This is unbelievable. Fuck your shitty establishment."

"By all means, do us all a favor and leave it," Gabe retorted.

He put an arm around my shoulders, and the contact singed me. I wasn't expecting it. I glanced sideways at Gabe, who was still looking between the guy and the bodyguard. Then he tilted his head downward to me and our eyes connected for a brief second.

I immediately shifted and looked to his throat. For some reason, I couldn't hold his gaze. Heat coursed through me, starting from the point where he had splayed his fingers on my shoulder.

He leaned forward, and I realized he was bringing his lips to my ear. "Are you all right? Do you need a break, or do you want to go home?"

I shook my head and accidentally brushed my earlobe against his lips. I sucked in a breath as goose bumps erupted on my skin.

"No, I'm fine, really. He was just annoying.”

He straightened up. "I'm really sorry about that. If anything else happens, tell me immediately, okay?" He stepped back.

"Sure. Don't worry about me."

He looked me in the eyes, and this time I did my best to keep his gaze. I wasn't one to melt, but Gabe had supernatural powers.

For the rest of the evening, I stayed focused on the job at hand. Fortunately, no one else gave me grief—except for Gabe, but that was a different kind. Every time he came closer to me to tell me what to make, I had to brace myself.

The man exuded trouble, but I wasn't too worried. I knew I wouldn't see him after tonight. I just had to make it until the end of the shift.

But as I counted the money I got from tips and the cash Gabe gave me once we'd closed, I heard Celia tell Darren, one of our busboys, that we needed help the next day moving a huge bookcase from my room into the living room to give me more space.

“No can do,” Darren said apologetically. “I come here straight from my other job.”

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